CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Nov. 8, 2018 ­– The latest hospital safety scores from the Leapfrog Group are out, and six hospitals affiliated with UNC Health Care received top “A” grades for their work in protecting patients and delivering excellent care.

UNC REX in Raleigh is the only hospital in North Carolina – and one of only 42 across the country – to receive straight A’s since Leapfrog began grading hospitals for safety in 2012.

“We recognize that patients and their families look to Leapfrog and other national rankings to choose the best hospitals for their loved ones,” said Dr. Bill Roper, CEO of UNC Health Care. “I’m proud that our co-workers and physicians are committed to providing safe and excellent care for all patients across our state.”

Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 publicly available safety measures to assign A-F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and transparent, and the results are free to the public. Nationwide, 855 hospitals received A grades in the Fall 2018 report.

“Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grades recognize hospitals that focus on advancing patient safety. This ranking provides an important resource for patients, and a benchmark for hospitals, to determine how care at one hospital compares to others in a region,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an A Hospital Safety Grade deserve to be recognized for their efforts in preventing medical harm and errors.”